Regent Goes Clothing Optional...

... Oh wait, that's optional clothing for formal night. Sorry for the confusion.

Following the trend in the industry, and truly their own passengers' preferences and actual habits onboard their ships, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has announced a revised dress code. Beginning with the 2009/2010 New Year's sailings, the evening dress code will consist of Elegant Casual for most sailings, with longer sailings adding 2 "Formal Optional" nights.

In reality, the "formal" nights on Regent the past few years have been more "elegant casual" than what cruise traditionalists would consider classic formal nights, and this step toward what I'd call more "contemporary formal" nights brings the line's official policy more in line with the actual experience. And in my opinion, more in line with the vast majority of their target demographic, both current passengers and future cruisers.

For those interested, here's the exact policy:

Daytime Dress Code (until 6 p.m.) During the day, resort style clothing (including shorts, warm-up suits, jeans and sneakers) is acceptable in all public areas. Bare feet are acceptable only on the Pool Deck. Note: Bathing suits, while acceptable at the Pool Bar and Grill, are not considered appropriate in any indoor venue.

Evening Dress Code (after 6 p.m.) Two types of dress code have been established for evenings in public areas: Elegant Casual and Formal Optional. The number of Formal Optional nights is dependent upon the length of the cruise, as follows: • Cruises of fifteen nights or less will be Elegant Casual for the duration • Cruises of sixteen nights or more will have two Formal Optional nights

Elegant Casual: Skirt, or slacks (no jeans) with blouse or sweater, pant suit or dress for ladies; slacks (no jeans) and collared shirt for gentlemen. Sport jackets are optional. Note: Jeans, T-shirts, baseball caps, shorts, sneakers and bathrobes are not considered appropriate in any public area after 6 p.m.

Formal Optional: While guests are welcome to dress each evening as per the Elegant Casual dress code, during Formal Optional evenings, guests may opt for a more formal choice of clothing including gowns and cocktail dresses for ladies; tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suit with tie for gentlemen.

Great job, Regent! This will help your guests and potential guests to feel very comfortable in their choice, and easier for agents to ensure they properly explain this often very confusing aspect to cruising to their clients.